Little Miss Sunshine
by accentuated
Summary: Darrel Curtis; the toughest around the Greaser neighborhood. Strict, uptight, demanding, and is the eldest of Sodapop and Ponyboy. How can somebody like Darry get such a sweet girl like Joann Caverly? Darry x OC. Rated M for mature themes in chapters ahead. Johnny and Dally are alive in this story. Taken one year after Johnny has killed the Soc. Story in progress.
1. Prologue

***** DISCLAIMER: This is my first fanfiction ever. I never wrote one alone before, honestly. I normally did role-plays of such. I'm excited to write them alone now. It's giving me something extra do to. Hope you enjoy! *****

Darrel Curtis and Joann Caverly have been dating for quite some time now. It first started off as a fantastic friendship between them. They were always at ease when they talked, as if they can spatter out their troubles. It was one sudden night that they found out they had feelings for each other. Joann was walking out late at night from the movies alone. Her friend Vivian had gone home, and Jo decided to walk home by herself. Stupid decision, really, but Jo doesn't regret it. A few drunken Socs dropped by her and tried to flirt with her. Innocent flirting increased to harassment, and soon became violent_, _trying to grab her, and putting her in the Chevrolet Corvette '54. Four Socs to one Greaser girl. Jo screamed for help, for anyone to help her. The only name that she could get out was Darry. That's all she screamed for_._ Not too long later, a figure came running to them and beating the Socs up, muttering and cursing words. Jo remembered the specific words that Darry yelled_. "Do not lay a single finger on her!"_ Jo will never forget that.

When Darrel was finished with his business with the Socs and them scurrying along like mice, he went over to her and helped her up.

"Are you alright, Jo? They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?" he asks.

"I'm just fine." She says softly. "Thank you…"

"What the hell were you thinking walking alone, huh? You coulda' asked me to go with ya to the movies." He says, beginning walking her home.

"I was with Vivian and she drove home. I didn't wanna be a bother and let her drive me home, so I decided to walk."

"Still! Those Socs coulda' done worse to ya. I couldn't stand that."

"Why?" asks Jo curiously.

"Because I love you…" Those words slipped Darry's mouth before he knew it. And it was true, he did indeed love Jo. He didn't know when he began to love her, nor did he know how. But he loved her, and he couldn't bear for anything to happen to her.

Jo stops walking and looks up at Darry, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open in shock. "R-really…?" she asks.

Darry stood silent, then nodded. "Yeah." He says in a voice so low and smooth sounding.

She smiles widely, her pure white teeth showing and her eyes filled with pure joy. Jo hugs Darry tightly, her arms wrapped around the back of his neck and her face on his shoulder, giggling softly and sniffling. "I love you, too." She murmurs against his shoulder. Darry was smiling, closing his eyes and placing his hand on the back of her head, twirling a few of her black curls on his index finger.

And that, ladies and gentleman, is how Darry Curtis; the strict and one of the toughest around the Greaser neighborhood, managed to get a girl. And he sure did it right.


	2. Bills, Laundry, and Relationships

**Chapter 1: Just The Beginning**

**Joann's POV:**

"YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY DAUGHTER AWAY! SHE HAS A LIFE AHEAD OF HER. SHE WON'T SPEND HER REMAINING YEARS WITH A DRUNKEN FATHER WHO HAS NEVER BEEN THERE FOR HER! SHE'S EIGHTEEN, SHE CAN HAVE THE CHOICE TO GO WITH YOU OR NOT!" I heard my mother yell inside the house. The fight between my mother and my father has been goin' on for as long as I could remember; maybe even when I was a baby. My father was almost never there for me. He was always a drunk, he was never home when I was little. And when he was home, he was only there to get money for more beer, to yell at me or my mother, or just to sleep. It's horrible, I can't stand it anymore!

"I DON'T NEED A DUMB BROAD TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO WITH MY KID." I heard him yell inside, smashing his beer glass onto the floor. That's when I cringed. I've been standing outside for hours on end ever since my father came home last night. I can't stand the sight to even look at him. My parents' yelling is so loud the whole entire Greaser neighborhood can hear it. Some people even stopped by to ask if I was fine. I normally am, just a little bit shaken up from the yelling. I should be used to it by now, but I just can't bring myself to it.

My father steps outside and grumbles words to himself. He's a large man, and quite frankly, he's very muscular as well for his age. He can beat anybody up, and that's what scares me the most. He only slapped me once for getting into the middle of his "conversation" with my mother. That's why I always stay outside when he's home. He shoots a troubled glare toward my direction, snarling and walking to his old, run-down vehicle. He starts it up and drives away.

"GOODNESS, THAT MAN!" my mother shrieks, slamming one of the doors inside the house. I sigh deeply and begin to walk around the neighborhood.

Oh, I should probably introduce myself. I'm Joann Caverly, but people call me Jo, Joey, or sometimes even Sunshine on how I'm always so happy. Which really, it's the truth. I always try to look toward the bright side of things, even how crummy my household troubles may be. I am definitely a Greaser, yessiree. Although I don't grease my hair back, I don't wear those snobby and skimpy dresses that the other Greaser girls wear. I don't smoke, but I don't mind the smell. I just hate the taste. The same with beer or any other alcohol; except for wine. I actually kinda like wine.

I have long, black curly hair that goes to the middle of my back. Really, CURLY hair. Extremely curly. Not too curly to be a hassle in the mornin', but pretty damn curly. You shoulda seen my hair when I was six. THAT was a hassle. My skin is pale and fragile, very easy to get burned. Weird, huh? I have a freckles across my cheeks and nose, and I have big and bright emerald eyes. My lips are full, which that's the downside of my figure. My friends back in high school said I looked good with my thick lips, they said it was extremely kissable. I just ignored 'em, I don't understand. But in a way, I don't care what other people think about me. I have perfect white teeth when I smile, and I have a birthmark on my neck and a birthmark above my upper lip towards the right side.

I only had one boyfriend during high school, and it didn't even last too long. Of course, we kissed a few times and cuddled; thankfully we didn't go too far. It was only a short time when I found him making out with another girl, half-naked in my living room couch. MY LIVING ROOM! What the hell! What kind of guy cheats on his girlfriend in her living room couch? So I slapped him, kicked him out with his new girlfriend, and cried for a few hours. It only took me about a day or so to get over him. All I did was watch a full-on marathon of I Love Lucy and eating half a box of Mike & Ikes. Nothin' too much.

I've lived my life as a poor Greaser for many years. It ain't too bad once you know how to manage it all. I work at Paramount Diner right across from the DX. It's an okay job. I go home with leftovers at times, and I made a few friends. The pay is good at least. I recently took the job, and I think I'm getting the hang of things there. I've came across a few rude customers, throwing the money at me when they're pissed off at somethin'. I just sucked it up and gave them my attitude back, and that made me feel real good.

I waited about twenty more minutes and thought my mom would be cooled down by now. I walked back inside, shutting the door quietly. My ma was doing the dishes.

"Hi mama." I say, smiling at her and walking over to help her by putting away the dishes.

"Hi Jo._" _she begins. "How was work today?"

"It was okay. I got a few tips, so maybe that can get us some groceries for the week." I say, placing the plates and cups away in the cupboard.

"That's good. I was planning to go shopping tomorrow anyways."

Mother and I always carried on our conversations after the fight between her and my father as if nothing really happened. I'd like to keep it that way. She hates talking about it as much as I do.

"So, have you met any cute boys yes?" my mother chimes.

_"Mooommm!" _I say with an annoyed tone.

"I'm being serious here, Joey!" mother laughs. "I know you've been lonely since your last boyfriend has cheated on you. That little shit…" mom mumbles under her breath. I just giggle softly and smile.

"I ain't lonely, mama. I've got you, 'member?" I say, finishing putting the dishes away.

"I know, I know." She says in a sing-song tone, drying her hands with a cloth. I go off to grab any of our dirty laundry and putting it all in a bag. "Ma, I'm going to the Laundromat. Need anything extra from the stores?" I ask.

"No, it's fine. Don't be back late!"

"I'll try not to. These stores are always crowded on Fridays." I say. "I'll be back soon!"

And I went off like that. The Laundromat wasn't too far from here, just a couple blocks down from the Greaser neighborhood. Honestly, this all ain't a bad place until the Socs come along with their Mustangs and Corvettes. The Soc boys hit on any lady, even Greaser girls. They treat 'em all like shit, but what do you expect? They're spoiled. It's the same with most Soc girls. They wear fancy clothes and drive fancy cars; they brag about boyfriends and the prom. I only had one Soc friend, and she wasn't any like those. It's a shame she moved to Washington in her senior year in high school.

I was wearing a denim jacket with my sleeves rolled ¾ the way up with a pale yellow shirt under. I had dark jeans that fell right to my knees that were slightly rolled up, and sneakers with my socks rolled down. My jeans were lightly ripped, and my jacket was ripped up around the shoulder areas. My hair was clipped up with many of my curled tendrils falling down to the side of my face. I didn't look trashy, but I sure didn't look like a damn Soc. Hell, I don't even wear make-up. I don't wanna start Halloween early.

I arrive in the Laundromat moments later, looking for an open washer. I finally found one next to a haggard-looking old lady who looked like she owned many cats. I shiver a bit, but I walk toward there and dump the clothes inside, adding the soap and softener and turning it on. I slip in a few quarters just for extra, and then I sit and wait. I hated going to the Laundromat. Not only there's bizarre looking people there, but people can take out your damn clothes from the washing machine and put their own inside. That's what pisses me off the most about this place. I also hate the wait. It's so boring! I wish they added a small TV here, or maybe add a little music. I looked over to my left and saw a Soc guy making out with some skank, being "intimate"._ 'Really? In here?'_ I ask myself in my head, snorting a bit and shaking my head._ 'Why the hell do I care? This is Tulsa, it happens everywhere.'_ I smirk a bit and wait a bit longer, crossing my legs.

When the washer finally finished, I jumped up and walked over to put it in the dryer, placing in some quarters. I don't like to dry 'em for too long because it takes too long. So what I normally do is I dry it halfway there. Then I set them outside to dry for about half an hour. It saves both time and money.

As I wait, I began to think about my high school years and how I should be in college by now. Really, as much as I wanted to go to college, I just can't. There's no way in hell my father would help us with the bills and the house. Somebody's gotta help my poor mother. I took the responsibility of helping her, doing more chores and taking a job. I might go to college sometime later in the future, but I'm now more focused on helping my mother.

Much later, the dryer FINALLY finished the clothes. I take them out and set them back in the bag I came with, walking out of the Laundromat and going back home. I look up to see the sun setting. I loved watching the sunset as much as I loved watching the sunrise. The beautiful amethyst and golden colors mixed together, rays of bright pink flowing through the sky. I just love it. I also love laying in the night and watching the stars with a cup of hot chocolate. I used to do that with my friends in high school. Such good memories flow through my head whenever I see the sunset. I sure do miss those years.

I luckily didn't get jumped by any Soc on my way back, so I hurriedly ran back inside my home. "Mama, I'm home!"

"Okay, good. Bring the clothes so we can fold 'em." She says. I walk on over and dump the clothes on the bed. Surprisingly, they're not as damp as I thought they would be. I begin to grab them and fold them neatly, putting them away in my mother's drawer and my own drawer in my room.

I grab my pajamas; which were boy pajamas that I bought from the store. I felt uncomfortable wearing nightgowns. I usually wear silky plaid pajama pants and a T-shirt that goes with it. It just feels so comfortable on me. I go and take a shower, thinking back on the last time I had a real crush in high school. _'What's up with all these memories?' _I ask myself in my head. _'I'm almost never like this; I always move forward. Maybe mama is right, I do need a boyfriend.' _I laugh softly at my silly idea and step out of the shower, brushing my teeth and getting dressed in my pajamas. When I step out, I go to my mother.

"Ma, I have work tomorrow, so I'm goin' to bed early." I let her know.

"Okay, dear. Good night." Says mom.

"Night, ma." I bid her a goodnight and go to my room, uncovering the sheets and shutting off the lamp. Maybe work tomorrow won't be too bad… I soon drift off into sleep, dreaming of Mike & Ikes, sunsets, and laundry.

**Darry's POV:**

For some reason, it's been an extremely long day for me. Work, bills, prying Two-Bit off of Pony in the mini-wrestling match in the middle of our kitchen, and makin' sure Dally doesn't get too drunk again and bring girls home here. I just feel that I need a break, somethin' to ease my mind.

"Hey Steve, have ya seen the new waitress in the diner?" I heard Soda ask Steve as they walk inside our home.

"She's a looker, huh?" Steve chuckles and takes off his DX uniform. "We should visit her sometime, maybe talk with her for a bit. She's a Greaser like us, ain't she?"

"Yeah, I seen her 'round here. She sure don't look like one, but she's a nice gal. She looks around our age or Darry's age."

I heard the conversation go on for a bit as I continue to pay the bills._ 'My age, huh?'_ I ask myself in my head. _'I might just visit her as well.'_ No-no-no! I'm too busy with work, I don't have time to take breaks and talk with girls. But somethin' is telling me that I should at least see her for myself. It's been a while since I've got myself a girl. Hell, even Pony's gettin' some girls himself! Pony's fifteen now and he has the ladies lining up. I really do need to have a break.

"Soda, I might stop by the diner tomorrow. I haven't eaten there in a while. Just to drop by or somethin'." I say as I look up from paying the bills.

"Sure, Darry." Says Soda, sitting on the couch and groaning softly from the day's work.

"And go shower. You smell like a gas station." I say.

"Noooo, really?" says Soda in a sarcastic tone. "I never knew!"

I smirked a bit and put the bills away, stretching. "Pony, you doin' your homework?" I ask.

"Aw, Darry! It's Friday! I have a date with Diane in half an hour!" whines Pony.

"Then work on it now before you leave." I command.

"Alright, alright. Jeez." Says Pony, dragging his feet to his room to do his homework. I shake my head a bit and go on with my other things; cooking, cleaning, and making sure Soda does the dishes and Pony does his homework while I make sure the gang doesn't mess up our home. Again.

Hours has gone by and Pony has came back from his date to see Johnny crashed on the couch, snoring softly.

"Johnny'll stay here for the night. Maybe for the next couple of days, his folks are givin' him more trouble than usual lately." I say reluctantly, sitting next to Pony.

"Damn." He mutters. "Alright. Well, Johnny and I have plans for tomorrow anyways, so I guess this is a head start." He chuckles. "Night, Darry."

"Night, Pony." I say. I then change out of my clothes into my boxers and go into my room, crashing on how exhausted I am. My mind begins to wonder on the new girl in the diner that Soda and Steve were talking 'bout earlier. Do I really need a girlfriend now? I asked myself. Maybe I'm just tired of being alone or left out.


	3. Just A Walk Home

**Chapter 2: Just A Walk Home.  
**

**Joann's****POV**:

I woke up possibly around six a.m because of the dream I had. I had a dream that my father came back one time completely drunk, and possibly doing drugs. He was beating my mother senselessly, cursing and uttering words. My mother had stop screaming, and there was a deathly silence throughout the house. I was screaming, my father turning around and his eyes blazing with anger. He came towards me and slapped me. That's when I woke up. It was absolutely horrible. I couldn't stop crying this morning. Thankfully my mother hadn't heard me. After I stopped crying, I finally got up to make myself and my mother some coffee, then serve myself some Corn Flakes for breakfast. I just couldn't stop thinking about the dream. It was horrifying...

My mother got up about half an hour later in her nightgown, her hair messed up. "Morning, Joann." she said.

"Morning, Ma." I smile, pouring my mother a cup of coffee and handing it to her.

"You're up earlier than I am. Couldn't sleep?" she asks.

"Yeah." I lied. It was a bit of the truth that I couldn't sleep, but I didn't wanna tell her about my nightmare.

"I have to leave a little earlier today to the diner, but I'll be back around five or six." I say, finishing my bowl of cereal and putting it in the sink.

"That's fine." she simply says. I wanted to tell her to be safe, or to get out somewhere in case if father comes back, but I didn't. I don't want her to get overwhelmed.

"Well, I'm gonna get ready." I say, going off to my room and putting on my waitress uniform. It's not that much, it's a dress that falls to my knees. It's a light, chocolate brown color with cream colored pinstripes and my name-tag on the left side of my chest. The uniform is a little tight, but at least it isn't skanky. I go to the bathroom to brush my teeth, wash my face, and clip my hair up the way I had it yesterday with the tendrils down to the side of my face. I look up to the mirror to see that I have the slightest bags under my eyes. It isn't noticeable, but if you look real close it is. I sigh, but I go off to grab my bag and put on sneakers.

"Alright Ma, I'm off. Have a good day." I say, looking back at her to see her in her nurse uniform. My mother works as a nurse in the local clinic in Tulsa. She's worked there for nearly twenty years. It's not a very good pay, but it's enough to pay the mortgage of our home. That's one of the reasons why I took the job as a waitress.

"Bye, dear." she smiles, turning to wash the dishes. I walk out of the door and begin to walk toward the Paramount Diner, making sure I have everything in my bag; House keys, wallet, and a pocketknife. I always keep a pocketknife just in case if any Soc tries to jump me. I've been jumped before, and it didn't turn out pretty. I still have a slight scar from the damn Soc that cut me. Thankfully somebody saved me. I can't remember who it was, but he was definitely a Greaser. My vision was too blurry from the tears that I couldn't get out his face structure. That was when I was sixteen, though.

I arrive at the diner and look around. What do you expect? It's always empty in the morning. Why do I have to get in so early? I shrug and walk to the bag to put away my belongings, beginning to turn on the machines that pour drinks and get out my small notebook and pen to write down the orders of people.

"Mornin', Vivian." I say to one of my friends. She smiles back at me.

"Mornin', Jo. Tired, huh?"

"Yeah. I had a horrible dream last night." I say lowly.

"Really? What was it about?" she asks curiously.

"Nah, I don't wanna talk about it. It's... too much." I reluctantly say.

"Ah, it's fine. It ain't my business anyways." she smiles.

Vivian is a sweet girl, she's only two years younger than me. It's hard to believe that she's a Greaser gal like me. She has bright red and straight hair with bright blue eyes that sparkle. She has thinner lips than I do, but she has freckles across her nose. A lot of freckles. Her background is apparently Scottish, but she was born and raised in Tulsa. She's such a nice girl, and very pretty as well.

"Thanks." I smile. We just sit around and talk for a while until the first customer comes in; a bunch of Soc girls giggling and sneering at others. _'Just what we need this mornin'.'_ I think, rolling my eyes and putting on a fake smile.

"Mornin' girls. What can I get you?" I ask sweetly.

The girls give me a dirty look, obviously knowing that I'm a Greaser. "Uh, yeah," one of the girls begins in a snobbish voice. "You can get out of our face, you dirty Greaser." Her other girlfriends laugh and smile like little bitches they are.

I give them the dirty look. "Listen, hon. Either you come here to eat, or you get the hell out. Choose one before I have to bring somebody to kick ya out." I spit out stiffly.

She gives ME the dirty look as well. "Fine. We'll all have cokes."

I smile like how she gave me the dirty smile. "Thank you." I say sarcastically. I go to the back and bring out six cokes, sitting them down at the booth. They scoff a little bit and go back to their conversations, whispering and cursing at me under their breaths.

Vivian looks at them and looks back at me. "I hate Socs." she mumbles.

"I only had one Soc friend back in high school, and she was nothin' compared to them." I say to Viv. "I sure do miss her, but I learned to cope with it." I smile sadly. "Now c'mon, we have other customers to take care of."

Viv just smiles brightly and nods. "Right."

The morning passes by with a blink of an eye, and soon the afternoon came. More people were coming in and out, thankfully nothing else like the Soc girls that came in earlier on. Some Greaser boys looked intimidating and tried to hit on us, but I tried to ignore 'em. They just think I'm one of those other 'easy' girls that want a one-night stand. I ain't like that. They also tried to hit on Vivian. Poor girl, she's just tryin' to do her work. She already has a boyfriend as well, so I told those Greaser boys to back off. Surprisingly, they respectfully did because we were all Greasers like them.

Soon, a couple of boys from the DX across from us come back in. They were here yesterday, and they kept on lookin' at me. I was blushing, I thought I had something on my face! But this time, they come back with someone else; someone else who doesn't work at the DX. From the looks from his clothes, it looks like he's a roofer, his clothes dirty. I smile at them and walk over.

"Hi boys." I say brightly. "Come, have a seat. Can I get you a drink?"

One of the boys who looks about my age, the one that works at the DX. "Yeah, I'll have a coke." he says. "Steve, watcha want?"

"I'll have a beer." says the one named Steve.

"What about you, Darry?"

The man so named Darry, who looks about twenty or twenty-one, just looked at me for a bit and looked away. "I'll take a coke." he says. I smile kindly and write down their drinks. "I'll be back soon." I then walk off to the back to get their drinks. They're all handsome, but I think the oldest one is pretty handsome as well. Darry was his name, right? I smile a bit, but shake off the thought. He probably has more things to worry about, and I sure do have more things to worry about.

I go back to their table moments later with their drinks and setting it in front of them. "Alright, here you go." I begin. "Can I get you boys anythin' to eat?"

* * *

**Darry's****POV:**

_20 minutes ago:_

"C'mon, Darry! Let's go!" says Sodapop as they arrive at my workplace. I was just about to leave anyways to the diner. I didn't want Soda and Steve to know that I'm just curious to see who the girl is.

"I'm comin' Soda, be patient." I say, sighing and getting down. I take off my tool belt and set it aside, beginning to walk to the Paramount Diner with both of 'em.

"You just wanna see the girl again, don't ya, Soda?" asks Steve, smiling.

"Nah..." he begins. "...Maybe.". Steve laughs a little bit and I couldn't help but smirk a bit.

"She's pretty cute, though. I've seen her 'round here, she lives with her mother in our neighborhood. I've passed by her house a few times, and I one time heard screaming. It wasn't her scream, but it was somebody else's..." Steve says.

"Huh, that's weird. But let's forget about it. She seems nice." Soda says.

I heard the conversation and thought a little bit. I wonder how she looks? I need to get a grip on myself, it's been a while since I've got a girl. I've lost my... charm! Before I knew it, we arrived at the diner. As soon as we walked in, a young woman walked up to us and smiled. She is very pretty, but there's many other waitresses here. They could be anyone. When we were seated, she asked for the drinks.

"Yeah, I'll have a coke." Soda says. "Watcha want, Steve?" asks Soda.

"I'll have a beer." said Steve.

"What about you, Darry?" asks Soda.

I looked up at the waitress for a moment, her bright green eyes staring at me. I snapped out of it for a bit. "I'll take a coke." I mutter a bit. She smiled back at us and walked off for a moment to get our drinks.

"That was the girl we were talking 'bout, Darry." says Steve, smiling.

"That's her, huh?" I say. I stood quiet for a moment and began to think.

"Ooooh, somebody's got a crush, huh?" teases Soda. I snorted and shook my head.

"Shut it, Soda." I say, feeling my face turn red. Steve and Soda just laugh.

"Darry has a crush! How long has it been, fifty years?" Soda laughs.

"Shut your mouth before I do it myself." I spit. They just laugh more. They soon dropped the subject as the girl came back. I looked over at her name tag. _'Joann...'_ A nice name.

"Alright, here you go." she hands out the drinks. "Can I get you anything to eat?"

We all looked at the menu and thought for a moment. "I'll take a cheeseburger with curly fries." says Soda.

"I'll have the same." Steve said.

I thought for another moment and looked up and smiled. A smile I haven't shown in a while. "I'll have a steak with chips." I say simply. I see her write down a few things and look back at all of us, but me mostly. She smiled. "I'll be back soon."

Steve and Soda just gawked at me.

"What?" I ask.

"Y-You smiled!" Soda exclaims. "Since when?"

"Since now, apparently." Steve mumbled.

I just shake my head and sigh. Soda turns around to see another waitress; a redhead. She looks around his age, a year or two younger. Soda whistles a little bit. "That one is definitely a looker as well!" he says.

"She looks like your kind as well, Soda." says Steve.

"Alright, how's this; I'll take the redhead. Darry, you take the raven haired girl."

"W-What?!" I stutter. Steve laughs.

"We all know you need a girl, Darry. It's obvious. Even Pony has the girls lined up! He's fifteen! Johnny has a few as well. You're the only one in the gang without a girl. Time to get ya one. At least start off as friends." he says.

I just stood there blankly. My kid brother and his friend are going to get me a girl. Since when was this happenin'?

"Fine." I mutter. "Ya'll better not screw it up or I'll knock your heads together, understand?" I say.

"Aye aye, Captain." Soda says in a pretend salute.

* * *

**Joann's POV:**

After I took their orders, I went to the back and began to tell the chefs what to make. As soon as I finished, I look over at the table again to see the three boys staring at me; Including the one named Darry. I blush a bit, then go back to my work.

"Hey, one of the boys there looks cute!" whispers Vivian. "Both the boys in the DX uniform are lookers. What do you think, Jo?" giggles Viv.

"Oh hush it." I say in a silly manner. "They're cute, but... I kinda like the one across of 'em."

"Him! Oh, he's handsome! He has muscles too, see?". I didn't look, I already knew.

"Yeah yeah." I say, ruffling her hair. Viv looks back to see one of the boys look back at Vivian. Viv just blushed and giggled a bit, and I just smiled.

"Looks like you got a crush there, huh Carrot?" I said. I gave her the nickname Carrot when we first met because of her red hair. She didn't mind at all, it actually sorta grew on her.

"He's cute!" she almost shrieked. I laughed and shushed her for a bit.

"Alright, enough talk about boys. We got other tables to attend." I say, grabbing a plate of food and taking them to other tables.

* * *

**Darry's POV:**

"Okay, Dar. What you first do is you at least smile at her, just greetin' her and telling her your name. She'll tell you her's." begins Soda. "Then you just talk. That's it. The nice girls like her and the redhead seem like the ones who are worthwhile, so you gotta take it all slow with 'em."

I can't believe it. I'm getting advice from my kid brother about dating, or at least talking with a cute girl. Unbelievable. "Alright." I simply say.

"Talk to her when she gets off of her work. I've seen her get off around five or six, so you might wanna talk to her then, or maybe even walk her home. I've seen her walk home by herself; it ain't safe for a girl like her to be alone like that. Got it?" Soda says.

"Yeah, I got it." I say. Steve just had an amused look on his face. I know what he's thinkin'. _The tough and strict Darry is getting advice on how to get a girl._ It's embarrassing, but I have no choice.

Suddenly, the waitress, Joann, comes back with plates of food in her hands. "Here ya'll go. Two cheeseburgers and one steak." she smiles, placing them down in front of us. "Is there anything else I can get you boys?"

"We're fine. Thank you." I smile gently at her. I see a small blush form on her face, and then she smiles back. "You boys enjoy." She then walks off to the back.

"There ya go! You got a start there. Did you see her blush like that? That means she likes you, Dar." says Soda.

I just shake my head and smirk, beginning to eat my steak. I just hope Soda's right.

When we all finished our meals, the waitress came back to us and took our plates. Before she left, I walked to her.

"Hey, um," I began. "I was wondering maybe after you get off work, I can walk you home." I begin, Soda and Steve behind me and waiting.

The girl smiles and blushes a little bit. "I-I'd like that. Thank you." she begins. "What's your name?"

"Darrel, but people call me Darry. And you..." I say.

"I'm Joann. My family and friends call me Jo, though. It's nice to meet you Darry." Jo smiles. Golly, that smile. "I get off around five-thirty, so you can meet me right outside."

"Alright then. I'll see you later, Jo." I say, smirking and walking off with Soda and Steve. When we walk outside and close the door, Steve and Soda look at me.

"Looks like somebody's happy." Soda chimes.

I grunt and shake my head. "I gotta get back to work, and you two should as well. Pony's makin' dinner tonight. Soda, when you get home, do the dishes and laundry, aight?" I say.

"Whatever you say, Prince Charming." Soda laughs with Steve and walks off.


	4. Bonding And A Day Off

**Chapter 3: Bonding And A Day Off**

**Joann's POV:**

****I couldn't believe it. Surely he was looking at me from time to time, and I thought he's handsome; but just like that he asked to walk me home! Maybe he's just being a gentleman. My heart is racing extremely fast and I feel my face heat up. Why am I like this? Maybe it's because it's been a long time since I've really been with a guy. A handsome one, too. I look over at Vivian and giggle, going over to her.

"Darry's gonna walk me home!" I say excitedly.

Vivian just smiles and laughs along. "Good! You got yourself a boyfriend."

"Hey now, don't take it too far. I barely even know him, we're just friends to start." I begin, but soon my smile forms back again. "But golly, he seems sweet! From the looks afar, he seemed a bit cold and mean, but how he acted to me... He's nice. And thankfully he ain't those no-good Socs." I sigh with relief.

"I'm with ya there, Jo." she says. "And don't worry 'bout me, I'm borrowing my brother's car for the day, so you don't need to walk me home. You have fun with Darry." she winks.

I blush and immediately shake it off. "Alright, alright. C'mon, let's get back to work."

* * *

Hours have passed, Vivian and I going table after table, serving both rude and kind customers for another four hours. And finally, we're out of work. I sigh as I head to the back to grab my bag and say goodbye to Vivian. She heads off in her brother's run-down car and I begin to head out. I look to my left, then my right to see if I spot Darry. And I finally did.

I smile over to him and walk to his direction, greeting him.

"Hi, Darry." I say brightly.

* * *

**Darry's POV:**

I see Joann walking to my direction, and my heart slightly races. _Don't say anything stupid. Don't do anything stupid. Don't make a fool outta yourself._ I repeat over and over in my head. I managed to smile back at her.

"Hey Jo. Ready to go?" I ask.

"Yep." she says, beginning to walk toward our side of the neighborhood.

"What house you live in?" I ask.

"I live in the pale blue house with the broken fence a couple blocks from here." she laughs a little bit.

"Oh, that's just two houses down from mine." I say.

"Really?" she asks with a smile. "Huh. I might just visit you sometime then."

"That'd be nice." I smirk a bit and continue to walk. "How old are you?"

"I'm eighteen, but I'll be turning nineteen real soon. You?"

"Just turned twenty-one." I say. _At least I don't feel old._ I think. _And not much of an age gap either._

"So, tell me about your family. Do you have any brothers or sisters?" she asks.

"Our parents died last year in an accident," I begin, trying not to show any sadness in my voice. "I then took over as the guardian of my brothers. The youngest is named Ponyboy, he's fifteen years old. The other one that was in the diner with us earlier on is named Sodapop. He's eighteen."

I watch her facial expression soften and give a sad look, but immediately changes as I mentioned my brothers' names. "I'm sorry about your parents." she says slightly sympathetically, but immediately changes the subject. "Sodapop and Ponyboy, huh? I like those names. Very original." she says.

I'm just glad she changed the subject; I sometimes don't like talking 'bout it. But as soon as she mentions that she likes the names, I knew we'll get along real well.

"Yeah, my father was an original person, so what Ponyboy says." I said. "We also have a gang. Not the too-mean kind, but like a family gang. We all stick together."

I see her face light up. "That sounds nice!" she said happily, and that made me smile back. "I didn't have a gang, but I did have a few friends back in high school. We did almost everything together, we stuck together. But now since school has ended and they all left for college, I don't know what to do..." she says lowly. I felt a bit bad.

"Of course we still keep in touch, but they're even in other states for college. It's a bit hard." she continues. "I didn't go to college because my father... well, let's just say he's never home. He's always out drinkin' and doing... whatever with his buddies. And since he's never home, I take the responsibility to help my mother with work and pay off the mortgage of the house and take care of her and all."

"It seems that we're on the same boat then." I softly laugh. She giggles back and smiles.

"I suppose we are." she chimes along. "I'd like to meet your brothers and friends. They all seem like nice folks."

"They are. They're tuff and obnoxious, but nice. There's Two-Bit Matthews, Steve Randle, Johnny Cade, and Dallas Winston."

I feel her stop for a moment and I turn around. "You okay?" I ask.

"Did you say Dallas Winston?" she asks in disbelief.

"Yeah." I say a bit confused. "Why? What'd he do to you?"

* * *

**Joann's POV:**

I groan in disappointment. "Well, one time I was at The Dingo with a few friends not too long ago. Dallas came up and started to flirt with me, tryin' to get me to go with him and all. And he was obviously drunk on how he talked. I refused and he grabbed a hold of me. I snapped and kicked him, then I took off with my friends." I tell the story.

Darry looked shocked, but smiled afterwards. "Wait wait, you _kicked_ Dally?" he asks.

"Uh, yeah." I laugh and smile. "Even though I'm a Greaser myself, I was goin' through a bad break-up that time, and I didn't want to jump into another man's arms."

He nodded, showing that he understand. "If you don't mind tellin' me, what happened? The break-up, I mean." Darry says.

"I don't mind tellin' ya." I say, smiling and thinking back. "Well, I was dating this guy named Scott. He was a Greaser like us, but he seemed... well, nicer. He wasn't exactly labeled 'hood'. We were good friends to start with. We talked a lot, and basically did everything together. He soon asked me out and I said yes." I sigh. "Well, we didn't get too far, I can assure you that. Only kissed a few times and that's it. And honestly, I liked him a lot. He was my first boyfriend.

"One day, I came back into my home from the grocery store. I left Scott at my house because we were just having some alone time, watching a movie and all. Well, when I came back, he had a half-naked girl on top of him and sucking his face off. Obviously she was a Soc from her looks and her clothes. I couldn't believe my eyes. He tried to explain, but I slapped him as hard as I could and kicked him out." I laugh a bit.

"My friends decided to take me out to The Dingo and cheer me up, dance a little bit and make fun of the Socs. And that's when Dally came in and I kicked him. He ain't my type anyways."

Darry looked at me and stayed quiet for a moment. "Damn, that sure ain't good." he smiles a bit. "What is your type anyways?"

I closed my eyes for a bit and sighed, smiling a bit. "Hmmmhmm..." I mumble. "Somebody who's responsible, but caring at the same time. Someone who's honest and is easy to talk to, somebody who's trusting." I smile to Darry, showing my teeth and laugh a bit. "And apparently Scott wasn't any of those like I thought he was. But I forget about him, I tend to move forward."

* * *

**Darry's POV:**

I'm beginning to like Joann a lot. She's been through some troubles, but she's nice. Her eyes are soft and they sparkle when she smiles, she seems so happy and loving. She's pretty tough, too. When she tells me her type of guys, I begin to think. _Am I like that?_ But I stop for a bit and look at her.

"I have to agree with you on that one." I chuckle, putting my hands in my pockets and continuing to walk and talk. Talking about work, family, relationships, and what we do on our free time. I find it amusing that she's like Ponyboy, watching sunsets. Except that she also likes to watch the sunrise, and she loves watching the stars on a clear night. Maybe we could do any of those sometime together, just the two of us.

"Do you have any days off from your work?" I ask.

"I have tomorrow off since it's Sunday." she says. "What about you?"

Tomorrow. Good, I have the day off as well! "Same here. Maybe we can go grab lunch sometime tomorrow?"

"Sure, sounds good!" she says happily. I can't help but smile. Her joyfulness and her smile is contagious, I just have to smile along as well. We arrive at her house moments later. I decide to walk her to the door.

"I'll come pick ya up tomorrow at twelve. Sound good?" I say.

"Sounds good." she smiles. "Bye Darry!" she says, walking inside and shutting the door.

I find myself standing there for a bit with a silly grin on my face. She's definitely a keeper.


End file.
